April 8, 2021
Friends in Faith,
What a joy it was to be worshiping together after so many months apart!
God's Holy Spirit was with us as we celebrated Easter together—the good news of the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord!
We have decided that we'd like to continue to worship outdoors for the next six weeks. There is optimistic news concerning California reopening by June 15, and yet we are still seeing areas where COVID-19 infection rates are spiking. So we feel that worshiping outdoors is our safest option for now. Worship will be quite informal—we'll forgot many of our usual traditions and decorations for the time being, but we are thankful that we can finally worship together again.
I'm reminded of the early church—when following Jesus was a dangerous prospect and outlawed by the Romans. There were no churches; believers gathered in one another's homes, in secret. They prayed and sang together, and shared food with one another, as well as took care of orphans and widows. Whatever our situation may be, God finds a way …
As we return to outdoor worship, we are requesting that folks bring their own chairs, if possible, so that we can keep the labor needed for set-up/tear-down to a minimum. As you know, sometimes at Bethany we struggle to find able-bodied volunteers! If you are able to lend a hand, we'd be glad to have your help at 9:30 a.m. Also, please note that we'll have a “kiddie corral” for young ones, and if you feel more comfortable staying in your car for worship, we have the ability to broadcast via the radio. Or, if you prefer to continue to worship from home, that is fine, too, as we'll be live streaming our services via Facebook Live. Gathering music begins at 10:20 a.m.—join us!
This coming Sunday (April 11), our text is about "Doubting Thomas" based on John 20:19-30. We'll reflect a bit about the purpose of doubt and how we might even be able to benefit from it.
Don't forget that we continue meet for Zoom Bible studies on Tuesdays at 11 a.m. and Zoom Check-ins on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. These are good opportunities to say hello to folks from our congregation, and to spend some more time getting to know one another.
The links for worship and our other weekly virtual events are all found here.
On Easter, the Presbyterian Church (USA) normally collects the "One Great Hour of Sharing" offering that goes for a variety of excellent mission projects. If you'd like to make a donation you can do so directly or send a check through our office.
Finally, if you have news for our church family that you would like to share, please reach out to me or Office Manager Maria Mar and let us know. Also, whenever you share a joy or a concern, please be sure to tell us if the information is confidential or not; we never want to inadvertently share anything that wasn't supposed to be shared.
Our prayers are with members, friends, and loved ones who are struggling with health concerns, loss, and grief.
Loving God, hear our prayers for healing, care, and hope for all in the midst of anguish and troubles. We give you thanks for our many blessings and joys in our lives, trusting that you hold all of us and all of creation in your hands.
Blessings
Jesse
